Welcome to the second installment of Wellness Wednesdays featuring Abroad101’s expert on expat emotional health, Melissa Doman. Below Melissa shares with us the Top 5 tips for preparing yourself emotionally to study abroad.

Studying abroad will not only be one of the best adventures of your life, but it may be one of the most important personal development experiences that you will have as a young adult. Awesome excursions and delectable foreign cuisine aside, you’re about to embark on an amazing cultural immersion journey that will give you a global perspective and change your sense of self – for the better!

By this time, I’m sure your family and friends have given you plenty of tips on preparation for study abroad. They’ve likely overloaded you with such phrases as, “don’t forget to pack this!” or “will they have peanut butter there?” and the classic “ honey you can never have enough socks!” What I’m here to do is give you tips on how to manage something we often forget to check in with during major times of transition: our emotions and well-being. While you’re packing up your stuff and preparing for your journey, here are a few tips to keep your lovely college-educated brains in check:

Set up a support system. Talk to your study abroad advisor, college counselor, or family members about your concerns. Whether it’s friends at home you can Skype with, or finding people in your program that can connect with, remember you’re not in this alone.

Do your research! Before heading abroad, find out about cultural nuances and customs in your host country. We often handle change better when we have briefed ourselves on what to expect.

Your study abroad experience is your own. Don’t compare yourself to those around you. Everyone’s experience will be unique in it’s own way and we’re all on our own timeline.

What goes up must come down. When you leave home and go abroad, you may experience some mild emotional ups and downs. Not to worry though, experiencing the blues or feeling a bit anxious is a normal part of the change process – especially when it comes to cultural adjustment.

Remember, most people may never get the experience to live in another country, or even leave their own state. You’ve been given an extraordinary opportunity – use it in every way you can! I’ll end with the words of Charles Dudley Warner, “there is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” Bon voyage!

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Great tips! I think student sometimes underestimate all of the emotions they’ll experience when they study abroad, especially if they’ve never been away from home for extended periods of time before (or even if they have).

If you’re learning a new language and living in it 24/7, it can be very exhausting, on top of any culture shock and jet lag you may experience. Be compassionate with yourself, build in plenty of down time, and remember that it’s not going to be all fun and games!

Hi Allison! Thank you for your comment. I definitely agree that students can sometimes underestimate the potential emotional changes they will go through when being overseas. It’s a wonderful and significant change and with that comes a lot of intensity.

Cultural immersion and learning a new language can be quite exhausting indeed. It’s a process and everyone goes at their own pace. It’s all a part of acclimating to your new host culture. While it’s definitely challenging, it can also be fun and character building. Through struggle and discomfort, there is often a wonderful opportunity for growth and development.